PM Modi to launch over Rs 1,200 cr projects to revolutionise Gujarat’s urban infrastructure

Gandhinagar, Aug 23 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on August 25-26 to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for several significant development projects across the Revenue and Energy & Petrochemicals Departments. 

These projects, with a combined investment of over Rs 1,200 crore, aim to modernise infrastructure, enhance power distribution, and improve citizen services in Ahmedabad, Mehsana, and Gandhinagar.

During his visit, the Prime Minister will inaugurate five major power distribution projects by Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited (UGVCL) and Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited (GETCO) across three districts—Ahmedabad, Mehsana, and Gandhinagar. These projects, totalling Rs 1,122 crore, are designed to benefit approximately 4.25 lakh consumers by modernising and shifting the power distribution networks underground, thereby improving safety, reliability, and efficiency.

In Ahmedabad, a Rs 608 crore turnkey project will transition the overhead power distribution network underground in key urban areas. This upgrade will reduce transformer load, minimise low-voltage issues, and enhance the overall aesthetics and safety of the power infrastructure, benefiting over 2 lakh consumers.

Similarly, Mehsana will see a Rs 221 crore project focused on modernising and undergrounding its network to improve service quality, public safety, and resilience during adverse weather conditions, serving around 1.36 lakh consumers.

In Gandhinagar, a Rs 178 crore project will also shift the distribution system underground, reducing the risk of conductor snapping and transformer overload while ensuring reliable electricity supply for more than 86,000 consumers.

These power projects are part of the Government of India’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and Normal Development Schemes, targeting reduced technical and commercial losses and striving to meet the Pan-India benchmark of 12–15 per cent Feeder Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses by 2024–25.

This initiative aims to eliminate the Average Cost of Supply-Average Revenue Realised (ACS-ARR) gap, thereby creating a financially sustainable and operationally efficient power distribution system in Gujarat.

Complementing these efforts, two high-capacity substations will be inaugurated in Ahmedabad to bolster urban electricity supply. The Rs 75 crore Gota Substation, equipped with 60 MVA capacity through three 20 MVA transformers, will provide uninterrupted power to over 1,600 consumers.

Meanwhile, the Rs 39 crore Chandkheda-II Substation will serve more than 1,100 consumers and support new connections, further enhancing the stability and reliability of the city’s power network. Together, these initiatives will significantly strengthen Gujarat’s electricity infrastructure and benefit around 4.25 lakh consumers.

In addition to the energy projects, Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stones for two state-of-the-art Revenue Department buildings worth Rs 96 crore. The State Level Land Record Data Storage Centre in Gandhinagar, estimated at Rs 62 crore, will be a modern six-floor facility equipped with compactors, a museum, and a conference hall.

This centre will serve as a secure hub for preserving vital land and revenue records, maintaining copies from the Revenue Department as reliable backups, and scientifically safeguarding fragile original documents from the Revenue and Survey Departments for future reference.

The second project is the Stamps and Registration Bhawan in Ahmedabad (West), with an estimated cost of Rs 34 crore. This multi-storey building will centralise all revenue services related to stamps and registration, making it easier for citizens to access these facilities in one location.

It will house offices such as the Additional Inspector General of Registration (Ahmedabad Zone), Assistant Inspector General of Registration (Ahmedabad District), and the Deputy Collector for Stamps, along with storage for registration records from district sub-registrar offices.

Scheduled for completion within 17 months, this project aims to provide a modern, citizen-centric approach to service delivery.

--IANS

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